Submission Agreement

📄  Submission Agreement  ·  Version 1.0

Crown Submission
Agreement

Governing all collectibles submitted for grading, authentication & encapsulation

Effective Date: May 6, 2026

This Submission Agreement governs all collectibles submitted to Crown Grading for grading, review, authentication evaluation, imaging, encapsulation, database entry, or any related service. By submitting collectibles to Crown, the customer acknowledges and agrees to the terms below, as well as Crown’s Terms of Service, Surface Integrity Standards, and any other applicable published policies.

⚠  If you do not agree to this Submission Agreement, please do not submit collectibles to Crown.  Contact Us ›
Section 01

Customer Submission Responsibility

Customers are responsible for accurately entering all submission information, including but not limited to:

Card name, set name, year, and card number
Declared value and service level
Quantity and submission details
Contact information
Return shipping information

Crown may assist with identification or corrections during intake, but the customer remains responsible for submission accuracy.

Crown reserves the right to correct obvious submission errors, request clarification, or adjust submission details as needed for processing.

Section 02

Declared Value

Customers are responsible for assigning a declared value to each submitted item.

Declared value may be used for:

Service tier eligibility
Shipping and insurance calculations
Internal handling procedures
Risk classification
Maximum liability calculations

Important: Declared value is not a guaranteed appraisal, insurance policy, buyout price, or market guarantee. Crown does not guarantee the future value, resale value, investment performance, or market liquidity of any submitted item.

If Crown determines that a submitted item appears materially undervalued, Crown may request an adjusted declared value or service tier before continuing processing.

Section 03

Shipping to Crown

Customers assume all risk of loss, theft, delay, or damage while items are in transit to Crown.

Crown is not responsible for packages that are:

Lost or damaged before delivery
Misdelivered or stolen in transit
Delayed by the carrier
Shipped to an incorrect address
Inadequately packaged

Customers are strongly encouraged to use:

Tracking on all shipments
Shipping insurance
Signature confirmation
Secure packaging
Reliable carriers
📋  A submission is not considered received by Crown until it has been physically delivered, located, and checked into Crown’s intake system.
Section 04

Packaging Requirements

Customers are responsible for packaging submitted items securely.

Crown recommends submitting cards using:

Penny sleeves
Semi-rigid holders or card savers
Proper internal padding
Sturdy outer packaging
Clearly labeled submission information

Customers should avoid:

Loose cards without protection
Excessive tape that may contact card surfaces
Packaging that places pressure on cards
Envelopes without proper protection
Any packaging method that increases handling risk

Crown is not responsible for damage caused by inadequate packaging before receipt or during unpacking if the packaging creates unreasonable handling risk.

Section 05

Intake & Condition Documentation

Upon receipt, Crown may document submissions through internal intake procedures, including but not limited to:

Package inspection and item count verification
Photographic and scan documentation
Condition notes
Submission matching
Database intake records

Intake documentation is used for operational accuracy, security, quality control, and dispute prevention.

Crown reserves the right to pause processing if a submission appears incomplete, mislabeled, damaged, inconsistent, or unclear.

Section 06

Grading Is an Opinion

All grades, designations, and review outcomes issued by Crown are professional opinions based on Crown’s standards, tools, and procedures at the time of review. Grading is inherently subjective.

Customers acknowledge that reasonable differences may exist between:

Graders and grading companies
Resubmissions of the same item
Collectors and marketplaces
Future grading standards

Crown does not guarantee that another company, buyer, seller, marketplace, or collector will agree with any Crown grade or designation.

Grading opinions reflect condition assessment only and should not be interpreted as financial advice.

Section 07

AI-Assisted Grading Disclosure

🤖  AI-Assisted Workflow

Crown may use AI-assisted systems, imaging tools, software workflows, and automated analysis as part of the grading and review process. These tools may assist with centering analysis, surface review, anomaly detection, consistency checks, imaging evaluation, database matching, and operational workflow support.

AI-assisted tools support grading consistency and efficiency. Final review remains subject to Crown’s internal standards, human oversight, and quality control procedures.

No AI-assisted system is guaranteed to be flawless, complete, or error-free.

Section 08

Surface Integrity, Alteration & Restoration Review

Submitted items may be reviewed for evidence of alteration, trimming, recoloring, restoration, chemical treatment, surface enhancement, gloss modification, scratch filling, counterfeit characteristics, or other condition-modifying processes.

Cards exhibiting evidence of such processes may receive designations including but not limited to:

AlteredRestoredSurface EnhancedEvidence of Chemical TreatmentInauthentic

Not all alterations, restorations, or counterfeit characteristics are detectable. Crown does not guarantee detection of every form of alteration, restoration, or counterfeit production.

Customers are encouraged to review Crown’s Surface Integrity Standards before submitting.

Section 09

Encapsulation & Handling Risk

Customers acknowledge that grading, handling, imaging, and encapsulation involve physical interaction with submitted collectibles.

Although Crown uses care when handling submitted items, collectibles may contain hidden weaknesses, manufacturing defects, prior damage, material instability, or fragile condition issues.

Crown is not responsible for damage arising from:

Pre-existing weakness or brittle materials
Prior undisclosed alteration or damage
Poor or inadequate packaging
Manufacturing defects
Unstable surfaces or materials
Customer-provided holders or materials

Crown will make reasonable efforts to handle submitted items with care throughout the grading and encapsulation process.

Section 10

Turnaround Times

⏱  Any turnaround times provided by Crown are estimates only.

Actual turnaround times may vary due to:

Submission volume and operational demand
Staffing and technical issues
Imaging delays or research requirements
Customer communication delays
Supply availability or shipping delays
Seasonal demand or unforeseen circumstances

Crown does not guarantee completion dates unless explicitly stated in writing.

Submission delays do not automatically entitle customers to refunds, discounts, credits, or damages.

Section 11

Fees, Payments & Refunds

Customers are responsible for all applicable grading fees, service fees, shipping fees, insurance fees, taxes, and any other charges associated with their submission.

Once grading, review, authentication evaluation, imaging, intake processing, or related work has begun, fees may be non-refundable.

Crown may decline, pause, or return submissions if payment is incomplete, disputed, reversed, or otherwise unresolved.

⚠  Chargebacks, payment disputes, or fraudulent payment activity may result in account suspension, order delays, collections activity, or refusal of future service.
Section 12

Return Shipping

Customers are responsible for selecting and paying for return shipping options.

Crown may use third-party carriers for return shipment. Once a completed submission is transferred to the carrier, risk of loss, theft, delay, or damage during return transit may transfer to the carrier and/or customer, subject to any purchased insurance and applicable carrier policies.

Crown is not responsible for carrier delays, routing errors, misdelivery, theft after delivery, or damage caused by carrier mishandling after the package has been transferred to the carrier.

Customers are encouraged to select appropriate shipping and insurance options based on declared value and risk tolerance.

Section 13

Insurance Limitations

Any insurance purchased or applied to a shipment is subject to the terms, exclusions, limits, and claims procedures of the applicable carrier or insurance provider.

Declared value does not automatically guarantee insurance coverage.

Crown does not guarantee that a carrier or insurance provider will approve any claim.

Customers are responsible for understanding the insurance options selected during submission or shipment.

Section 14

Maximum Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Crown’s total liability for any claim relating to submitted collectibles shall be limited to the lesser of:

The customer-declared value assigned to the applicable item at the time of submission
The actual fair market value of the applicable item immediately prior to the claimed incident
The amount covered by applicable insurance, if any
The amount paid to Crown for the applicable service

Crown shall not be liable for:

Market fluctuations or loss of future value
Speculative value or investment losses
Emotional distress or lost profits
Consequential or indirect damages
Marketplace outcomes or third-party grade opinions

This limitation applies whether the claim arises from grading, handling, storage, imaging, encapsulation, transit, database display, or related services.

Section 15

High-Value Items

Customers submitting high-value items are responsible for:

Accurately declaring value
Selecting appropriate shipping insurance
Using secure packaging
Understanding applicable liability limits
Contacting Crown in advance if special handling may be required

Crown reserves the right to require additional verification, adjusted service tiers, special handling procedures, or additional fees for high-value submissions.

Section 16

Refusal or Return of Submissions

Crown reserves the right to refuse, pause, or return any submission for reasons including but not limited to:

Suspected fraud or counterfeit concerns
Unsafe or inadequate packaging
Incomplete submission information
Unpaid or disputed fees
Policy violations
Inappropriate or unlawful items
Operational limitations

If a submission is refused or returned, customers may still be responsible for shipping, handling, intake, or administrative fees where applicable.

Section 17

Abandoned Submissions

If Crown is unable to contact a customer, collect payment, confirm return shipping, or resolve submission issues after repeated attempts, the submission may be considered abandoned after 3 months of no contact.

📅  Crown may provide written notice before treating any submission as abandoned.

Abandoned submissions may be subject to storage fees, return delays, or other actions permitted by applicable law.

Section 18

Database, Imaging & Public Display

By submitting items to Crown, customers authorize Crown to:

Photograph and scan submitted items
Record and publish certification data
Display graded item images in Crown’s public database
Populate population reports
Use anonymized grading data
Use imagery for archival, educational, marketing, security, operational, and promotional purposes

Crown may display certification information and item imagery in its public database unless restricted by law or otherwise agreed in writing.

Section 19

Customer Representations

By submitting items to Crown, the customer represents that:

They own the submitted items or are authorized to submit them
The items are not stolen
The submission does not violate any law or third-party rights
All information provided is accurate to the best of their knowledge
They have authority to agree to this Submission Agreement

Crown may refuse or hold submissions if ownership, authenticity, legality, or authorization concerns arise.

Section 20

Policy Updates

Crown may update this Submission Agreement, grading standards, submission requirements, fees, policies, and procedures at any time.

Updated policies become effective upon publication to the Crown website.

The version in effect at the time of submission generally governs that submission unless otherwise required by law or agreed in writing.

Section 21

Relationship to Other Crown Policies

This Submission Agreement works together with Crown’s other policies. If there is a conflict between general website terms and this Submission Agreement regarding submitted collectibles, this Submission Agreement should control for submission-related matters unless otherwise stated.

Section 22

Contact

Questions regarding submissions, policies, or this Submission Agreement may be directed through Crown’s official website contact channels.

📨  Contact Crown Support  ›

Customer Acknowledgment

By submitting collectibles to Crown Grading, the customer acknowledges reading and agreeing to this Submission Agreement in full, including the following:

1

I have read and agree to Crown Grading’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

2📄

I have read and agree to Crown Grading’s Submission Agreement, Surface Integrity Standards, and applicable grading and submission policies.

3

I understand that grading is subjective, turnaround times are estimates, declared value is not guaranteed insurance, and Crown’s liability is limited as described in the Submission Agreement.

These acknowledgments will be presented as required checkboxes during the submission and checkout process.

Crown Grading — Submission Agreement v1.0Effective: May 6, 2026  ·  Conroe, TX  ·  Governed by Texas Law